79R4833 DLF-D

By:  Hilderbran                                                   H.B. No. 1945



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the filing of personal financial statements by the 
state chair of a political party.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 572.002(6), Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
		(6)  "State party chair [Party chairman]" means the 
state chair [chairman] of any political party receiving more than 
two percent of the vote for governor in the most recent general 
election.
	SECTION 2.  Section 572.021, Government Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
	Sec. 572.021.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT REQUIRED.  A state 
officer, a partisan or independent candidate for an office as an 
elected officer, and a state party chair [chairman] shall file with 
the commission a verified financial statement complying with 
Sections 572.022 through 572.0252.
	SECTION 3.  The heading to Section 572.026, Government Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 572.026.  FILING DATES FOR STATE OFFICERS AND STATE 
PARTY CHAIRS [CHAIRMEN].
	SECTION 4.  Section 572.026(a), Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	(a)  Not later than April 30 each year, a state officer or a 
state party chair [chairman] shall file the financial statement as 
required by this subchapter.
	SECTION 5.  Section 572.034(a), Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	(a)  An individual commits an offense if the individual is a 
state officer or[,] candidate[,] or state party chair [chairman] 
and knowingly and wilfully fails to file a financial statement as 
required by this subchapter.
	SECTION 6.  The amendment by this Act to Chapter 572, 
Government Code, is intended to clarify rather than change existing 
law and to conform to the gender-neutral terminology of the 
Election Code as amended by Chapter 864, Acts of the 75th 
Legislature, Regular Session, 1997.
	SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.